The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) has launched tendering procedures for media rights to all BBL games starting with the '14-15 season. The rights will include regular-season games, playoffs, finals, All-Star Game, BBL-Pokal (German Cup) and BBL Champions Cup for at least one season. All interested parties have to submit their bids by 6pm on Friday in order to be in the running for the rights (BBL).

Officials said that the Korea Baseball Organization "has surpassed the 1 million mark in attendance this year at its third-fastest rate," according to YONHAP. The KBO's nine clubs "have drawn 1.02 million fans in 83 games." It is "the third-fewest number of games that the KBO took to reach the 1 million mark, behind 65 games in 2012 and 79 games in 1995." The KBO said that "six of the nine teams have enjoyed an increase in their attendance so far this season." The other three teams, the Doosan Bears, the LG Twins and the Lotte Giants, "have had a decrease" of between 1% and 5%. The Bears, based at 25,500-seat Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, "still lead the KBO in the total attendance with just under 215,000 fans." The Nexen Heroes "have nearly doubled their home attendance this year" (YONHAP, 4/24).

The NBA Yao School will launch youth summer camps in Beijing from July 14 through Aug. 23. NBA players will visit the camps at Wukesong Hi-Park and No. 3 Middle School to teach basketball technique. The first program of the NBA Yao School was launched in February at Wukesong Hi-Park. Yao Ming said, "It is our dream to positively impact lives of youth through basketball participation" (NBA). The world's first NBA Cafe opened Friday in Manila at the SM Aura at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. NBA Cafe Manila features dining and displays, memorabilia and basketball-themed accents and fixtures. It is managed and operated by Haute Couture F&B Concepts and is the first basketball-themed restaurant in Manila (NBA).

The Pakistan Cricket Board "is developing an extensive plan to restructure domestic cricket that will see the end of department teams, who will be invited to participate in the functioning of regional teams," according to Ahad Awan of PAKISTAN TODAY. The proposal, generated by PCB Dir of Game Development Haroon Rashid, "is yet to be made public though it has been circulated among the PCB top brass." The revamp "is a step forward in allowing regional cricket to function independently and to make regional cricket self-sustaining." Players "are in line for a 100% hike in salary and funding of domestic cricket will gain three sources" -- the departments, sponsors and PCB. The plan’s premise "is that limiting the quantity of teams will heighten the quality of domestic cricket and allow regions to focus more on the players and build a viable talent pool." The proposal "reveals a new administration comprising five members: the regional president, a representative from the department, treasurer, marketing officer and one member from the PCB." The changes "are yet to be presented to the stakeholders and are currently being evaluated by the constitution committee" (PAKISTAN TODAY, 4/25).

ECB NOT HAPPY: In Lahore, Awan also wrote PCB Chair Najam Sethi has admitted that the England and Wales Cricket Board "was seemingly unhappy over Rashid Latif’s appointment" as chief selector. Sethi: “I nominated Rashid Latif as chief selector despite common knowledge that his support of Danish Kaneria’s case was not appreciated by the British cricket establishment" (PAKISTAN TODAY, 4/25).

Indian Badminton League orga­nizers said Thursday that "they were undecided about holding the second edition this year." The multi-million dollar league is due to return from Sept. 30 until Oct. 15. But with the world championships scheduled for August and the Asian Games from Sept.19 to Oct. 4, the availability of top players "is posing a problem for organizers" (GLOBAL TIMES, 4/25). ... The Indian Premier League "has entered its final week in the United Arab Emirates." Betting syndicates "remain a major concern for the organisers and the Board's Anti Corruption Security Unit." An ACSU official said that a couple of players "have reported suspicious approaches by some people trying to befriend them." One of them is said to be Kolkata Knight Riders' South Africa fast bowler, Morne Morkel (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 4/27). ... The Board of Control for Cricket in India is "putting in place a structure for India 'A' and under-19 tours." The BCCI "proposed a model that looks beyond domestic competition, thus emphasising on the need for more India 'A' and U-19 tours." Similarly, on the lines of the Int'l Cricket Council Future and Tours program, the BCCI "will be proposing to the ICC to carve out a similar structure for all international teams, who can be signatories to the FTP for all 'A' tours and bilateral U-19 tours" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 4/26). ... The Indian Home Ministry "has given its nod to a draft bill that envisages to check spot-fixing and illegal betting in sporting events, and mulls a maximum of five years' imprisonment for such crimes." The bill "aims to 'cleanse sports' in the country" (Indian BUSINESS STANDARD, 4/27). ... Efforts to make basketball a more accessible sport, especially to the non-Chinese, "are being put in place with the inception of a new league" -- the Industrial and Commercial Basketball League. Under the ICBL rules, each team "must field at least two non-Chinese players for the first two quarters of a match." Another unique feature of the ICBL "is the introduction of the handicap points system, which is meant to even out the strength of the participating teams" (THE STAR, 4/27).